1108
is a chilling suspense thriller written, directed, edited, scored, and
mixed by myself, and the creepiest part is: it’s BASED ON TRUE EVENTS
from my past!

The
story follows an all-American couple as they move into their first
apartment together. What is first considered the deal of a lifetime
quickly turns into the curse that they could have never imagined.

As
far as I know, 1108 is based on events that actually happened to
you and a girlfriend - would you care to elaborate, and do you take any
major liberties when bringing the story to screen?

I
really can’t answer this question without giving away too much. I’ll
just say that there are things in this movie that DID happen in THAT
house! A lot of things… a lot of creepy things…

What
can you tell us about your directorial approach and the intended look and
feel of your movie?

Great
question! Unlike many directors out there, I believe in the team. I truly
value the input of everyone around me, and when a great idea pops up, I
usually run with it. “With the counsel of many, the plans will
succeed.” I always ask for input. For example, I used many talented
creative consultants to bounce my script off of during the initial writing
process, and they really took me to the woodshed. They helped me see holes
in my work, how to improve the story, and now we have a real story; we have
a real great movie on our hands.

With 1108 being a horror
movie - is that a genre at all dear to you, and why (not)?

1108
is actually not a horror movie. It’s a suspense thriller. A lot of
little things will keep you spooked. Another thing different is,
although there are several extremely beautiful women in this movie,
there is no nudity, no cursing, and very little blood… but I promise you
- it is creepy! I Promise!

First,
you need a good story. Then great actors (which we have) to make it all
come to life. 1108 is written with white knuckles in mind. I’m really
big on what you don’t know is around the corner is scarier than what
you do know. Things go bump in the night, and that’s spooky to me.

Since
you are first and foremost a composer, you of course have to talk about 1108's
musical score for a bit!

1108
is going to be my greatest work ever! A full orchestral score, a real
choir, and so much more!! The main theme of the movie is played on a
Celesta, but you’ll also hear it on a Glockenspiel, Harp and Piano. You
can hear the theme here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghI6Etlt1jI

As far as I know, 1108
is still in pre-production - so what's the schedule, where's the project
going from here? And any idea when the movie's going to be released onto
the general public yet?

Yes!
We are shooting right now! We hope to screen on Halloween and release on
11.08.13!!!!!

Any future projects beyond 1108?

Yes!
I have several additional projects in the works, but for now, I’ll stick
to talking about 1108.

As
mentioned, you are first and foremost a composer - so what prompted you to
hop into the director's chair for 1108, and how did you prepare for
this new job of yours?

Great
question!

I think there comes a time when everyone says, “I could do
better than that!”

After working on some pretty terrible indie films
I had that, “I could do better than that moment.” Then I thought, “I
will do better than that… WAY BETTER!”

One
of the biggest motivators behind 1108 is to expand my artistic horizons.
I’ve been a musician, a composer, a web designer, a graphic designer, a
songwriter and so on, I feel it’s only natural to throw myself into the
director's role.

Preparations
for 1108 started about 3 years ago. I’ve studied… a lot. On this film
I am also the DP - so really, this project is the most ambitious creative
endeavor I have ever undertaken.

So what can you tell us about Dan
Brown jr, the composer, and did you receive any formal education on the
subject?

Yes! I’m
currently pursuing a B.S. in Music Production with a 4.0 GPA. I’ll
finish in a few months. I’ve also been a touring musician for years, but
I’ve since settled most live performance urges in my heart and truly
prefer the studio setting… well… for now.

How would you describe your music, and your
style as a composer?

When
scoring a film, I write for what the film needs. From classical scores to
hip-hop, from electronic music to heavy metal, the film will dictate what
I need to write. If for some reason the film asks for something outside of
my abilities, I’ll recommend a different composer.

You have done quite a few film
scores before 1108 - sho what's your usual approach when scoring a
movie?

When scoring a film,
I start with the most climatic part of the movie and work my way out from
there. This approach allows me to compose for the most epic part and then
thin out that theme for smaller sections of the movie.